Genzyme to set up R&D facility in China

US biotechnology major Genzyme says that it will build a major new R&D center in Beijing, China. The initiative is an important element in the firm's ongoing global expansion and commitment to establishing a long-term presence in China. The facility, which is expected to open in 2010, will involve project costs of some $90.0 million.

The new facility will be used for R&D activities involving many of Genzyme's key areas of focus, including orthopedics, transplant and immune disease, oncology, endocrinology and cardiovascular disease. The facility, which will feature an innovative green design, will also include laboratory-scale operations for the matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) cell therapy and polyclonal antibody operations.

"This new site represents a major step forward in our effort to improve the lives of patients in China by introducing innovative new medical products," said Henri Termeer, the company's chief executive.